Albany, NY - August 26, 2014 - Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced nearly $7 million in awards to the State University of New York High Needs Program to support workforce development in fields that are projected to substantially grow across the State. This year’s awards fund programs at 37 different colleges and universities and focus on the fields of engineering, renewable clean energy, healthcare, public health, biomedical-biotechnical, information technology and business and finance.
“By focusing on developing a workforce in these particular fields, we are positioning the economy for significant growth and helping people thrive in vibrant evolving industries across the State,” Governor Cuomo said. “The job training programs we are funding today provide students with the skills they need to succeed in some of the most rapidly expanding parts of the private sector – which also helps New York businesses find the talent they need to grow. This is another way that we are unlocking new opportunities for New Yorkers, and I am proud to be supporting these programs today.
SUNY campuses will use the awards to create and sustain workforce development programs in high-needs fields, which are determined by Department of Labor and Empire State Development and take into account New York’s needs by region. Occupations are considered high need if they are projected to have a large number of total openings, a high growth rate or a combination of both in the coming years.
A complete listing of campus programs to receive funding this year is available HERE.
SUNY Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher said, “SUNY’s High Needs Program is just one way in which we honor our promises of economic and workforce development to New York State while educating and training our students in careers that will lead to their success after graduation. Students who take advantage of these programs are the engineers, clean energy experts, healthcare technicians and business leaders of tomorrow, and we are proud foster their development and training on campuses across the State. Congratulations to each of the programs receiving funding this year.”
Every SUNY campus was eligible for funding as part of the High Needs Program. The number and amount of awards given is based on the quantity, quality and scope of applications received, and varied this year from $36,800 to $100,000. With this year’s launch of Open SUNY, priority was given to programs where the majority of courses can be taken online.
Based on Department of Labor data, over the next ten years, New York will need approximately: 2,340 engineers and engineering technologists; 18,550 new healthcare practitioners and health technicians; 9,000 business and finance professionals; and 6,500 community and social service professionals. The top five occupations that have been identified as high need in renewable clean energy include civil engineers, environmental engineers, mechanical engineers, and heating, air conditioning and refrigeration mechanics and installers. There is also a growing need in New York, similar to a nationwide trend, for biological technicians, chemical technicians and medical and clinical laboratory technicians, as well as experts in information technology who specialize in cloud computing, smartphones, tablets and easily accessible software applications.
About the State University of New York
The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive university system in the United States, educating nearly 460,000 students in more than 7,500 degree and certificate programs on 64 college and university campuses, and online through Open SUNY. SUNY students and faculty across the state make significant contributions to research and discovery, resulting in nearly $1 billion of externally-sponsored activity each year. There are 3 million SUNY alumni worldwide. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunity, visit their website.
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